The present invention relates generally to the mounting of circuit components to a circuit board in mobile communication devices or other electronic devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for mounting circuit components to provide electrical isolation between a radio frequency module and baseband module in a mobile communication device.
Electromagnetic interference is a common and well known problem associated with mobile communication devices such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, and hand-held computers. In normal operation, the RF (radio frequency) module in a mobile communication device creates electromagnetic waves which induce undesirable signals that interfere with the normal operation of baseband circuits and other circuit elements in the mobile communication device. These undesirable signals, termed electromagnetic or RF interference, can be minimized by shielding the RF module within a conductive shield at a low or ground potential. The grounded electromagnetic shield dissipates electrostatic build up and absorbs the electromagnetic field thereby isolating the RF module from other circuit components.
One of the challenges facing mobile phone manufacturers is providing adequate shielding between the RF module and baseband module of the mobile phone while maintaining a small form factor.